Vacation patterns of the elderly German

Abstract Theoretical frameworks developed in gerontological and recreational studies are useful reference points in the development of more comprehensive tourist behavior models. This paper attempts to provide a context for an understanding of vacation patterns of elderly Germans (FRG), which are described and analyzed within the contextual framework of an environmental motivational model. The influence of age and environmental factors on tourist participation is examined by comparisons of the behavior of four specified age groups. Modes of travel, destinations, length of vacation, accomodations, popularity of activities, and vacation memories, were all examined. Motivations inducing tourist travel were found to be similar across age cohorts. Spatial patterns are found to vary as the result of the interaction between the aging process and environmental forces. The elderly tended to seek less stressful modes of transportation and vacation habitats.